The present invention relates in general to cooking apparatus. More specifically, the invention relates to an inductive heat cooking apparatus, which produces a high-frequency magnetic field from a heating coil and carries out cooking by self-heating of a saucepan caused by the high-frequency magnetic field.
Generally, inductive heat cooking apparatuses include a heating coil for generating a high-frequency magnetic field. This high-frequency magnetic field generates an eddy current flowing in a saucepan, which heats the saucepan. Thus, inductive heat cooking is carried out by self-heating due to eddy current losses in the saucepan.
Although inductive heat cooking apparatuses are adapted for prolonged cooking such as needed to cook stew or to fry or to keep food warm, the user may want to be away from the apparatus during prolonged periods of cooking. When the user must be away, the most safe procedure is to cut off power to the apparatus. However, this prevents cooking from progressing. Nonetheless, it is dangerous to continue cooking for a long period during which the user is absent.
In view of the above-described circumstances, it has been considered to equip an inductive heat cooking apparatus with a timer device. When leaving the apparatus during cooking, the user may set an appropriate period of time on the timer device, during which cooking can proceed in his absence. It would not be necessary to cut off power to the apparatus every time the user left the apparatus. When the returns, following a timer controlled cooking, he can cancels timer operation, whereupon the cooking is temporarily stopped. The user must then take some action to re-start the cooking process.
It has also been considered to provide a switch which permits the user to set a "use" or "non-use" of the timer. When the switch is set to a "use" status, the cooking is stopped by the timer operation after the set time has elapsed. When the set of the switch is cancelled, i.e. changed to the "non-use" status, while the timer is in use, the timer restriction is released and the cooking apparatus is returned to continuous cooking. In other words, it may be set to a continuous cooking mode simply by canceling the set of the switch. Using such an arrangement, the user would no longer need to carry out some procedure to re-start cooking. However, when the user sets the timer, it would still be necessary to carry out at least two operations. The user would have to set the timer and operate the change over switch. Such a procedure might be confusing for some users, and the controls would be more complicated than would be desireable.